James Taylor arrived in Ceylon in 1852, settling down at the Loolecondera
Estate, Galaha. He begins a 19-acre tea plantation on the Loolecondera
Estate in 1867, laying the foundation for what would become Sri Lanka’s
largest export industry for over a century.
In 1872, a fully equipped tea factory began operating on the Loolecondera
Estate.
In 1873, Ceylon Tea made its international debut when twenty-three pounds
of tea produced by James Taylor reached London.
During the 1880s, tea production in Sri Lanka grew rapidly with planters
from all over the hill country visiting Loolecondera to learn the basics
of growing and manufacturing tea. By the late 1880s, almost all the
coffee plantations had been converted to tea as it was seen as a more
lucrative alternative.
With the development of technologies such as the Sirocco tea dryer in
1877 and the tea-rolling machine in 1880, commercial tea production was
now viable.
In 1883, with the backing of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the first of
many public Colombo tea auctions was held on the property of Somerville
& Co.
In 1884, the Central Tea Factory was built on the Fairyland Estate
(Pedro) in Nuwara Eliya.
In 1891, Ceylon Tea was sold at the London tea auctions at an astonishing
price of LKR 36.15 per lb.
In 1892, James Taylor, the pioneer of the tea industry in Ceylon, died at
the age of 57.
In 1894, the Colombo Tea Traders Association was founded, followed by the
formation of the Colombo Tea Brokers’ Association in 1896.
This period witnessed a significant increase in production. By 1899,
nearly 400,000 acres of land was already under tea cultivation.
1915 was a historic year as Mr. Thomas Amarasuriya was appointed as the
first ever Sri Lankan Chairman of the Planters’ Association.
In 2008, the export revenue from Ceylon Tea reached USD 1 billion.
In 2011, the Sri Lanka Tea Board obtained the necessary Geographical
Indications (GI) certification for Ceylon Tea, meaning that only tea
produced in certified regions of the Island and meeting stringent
quality norms could be marketed as ‘Ceylon Tea’. This was an important
step in ensuring quality and preventing counterfeiting. Sri Lanka also
became the first country to be recognised as a producer of
Ozone-friendly tea.
The year 2017 marked the 150th year of Ceylon Tea. Since James Taylor
established the first commercial plantation in 1867, the Sri Lankan tea
industry has come a long way, now generating over USD 1 billion in
export revenue and employing over 1 million citizens.
With the closure of the London Tea Auction in 1998, the trade in Ceylon
Tea centred solely on the Colombo Auction.
In 1999, the Sri Lanka Tea Board globally trademarked the Lion logo as an
emblem of 100% Pure Ceylon Tea.
The production of Ceylon Tea exceeded 300,000 metric tons in 2000.
2001 saw the setting up of a Tea Museum in an old tea factory in
Hanthana, Kandy.
In 2002, the Tea Association of Sri Lanka was formed.
To commemorate 125 years of Ceylon Tea, an international convention was
held in Colombo in 1992. The Tea Research Board was formed. Export
duties and Ad Valorem Taxes were abolished.
In 1993, state-owned tea estates were returned to the private sector.
In 1997, tea exports from Sri Lanka reached 250,000 metric tons.
Sri Lanka was the official supplier of tea at the Moscow Summer Olympic
Games in 1980 and the Brisbane Commonwealth Games in 1982.
In 1981, Sri Lanka began importing tea for blending and re-exporting.
The production and export of green tea started in 1982.
In 1983, the CTC (Crush, tear and curl) tea processing method was
introduced in the country.
